Revolving fire-arms



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Patented July 4,1875.

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R.. WHITE.

REVOLVING FIRE-ARM. No. 179,633. Patented July 4,1876.

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R. WHITE. REVOLVING FIRE-ARM.

No.1'79,633. Patented July 4,1876.

ROLLIN wnr'ra'or LovvnLL,'MAssAcnUsnrfrs. E

lMPROyEMENT IN REVQLVING FIRE-ARS- Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 1179,@33, dated J nly 4, 1876; application led April 12, 1876.

'o all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROLLIN WHITEof lowell, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, ave made certain Improvements in Revolvig Fire-Arms, of which the following is au ccurate specification:

The objectI have in view is to simplify, lake more cheaply and more e'ective, the iechanism by which a lire-arm is discharged, y which the cylinder 'is rotated, and by which le cartridge is extracted; and my invention ierei-n consists, principally, in the novel conzruction and combination ot' parts by which ie above results are accomplished, as more illy hereinafter described. v

In order that those skilled in the art may now how to make and use my improveents, I proceed to describe the same, havg reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a breech-loadg revolving-chamber pistol with my im? 'ovement; Fig. 2, a ,vertical longitudinal ctionf the saine with the cylinder drawn rward; Fig. 3, xa separate view of the cylinir, recoilshield, and the lock-frame, the tter being partly in vertical section ;V Fig. 4, separate side elevation of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a parate vertical longitudinal section of the me figure; Fig. 6, a detached view of the ider side of the lock-frame. Fig. 7 reprents the front of the cartridge-extractor nich extracts all the cartridges at once; Fig. the front end of the ratchet by which the linder is rotated; Fig. 9, a modification of g. 7. Fig. l0 is a cross-section o'n line :c .fr

Fig. 4; Fig. 11, a separate'view of firing rechauism as adapted to a cannon; Figs. 12 ld 13, separate views of thevsame adapted non-cylinder-re-arms, and Fig. 14 the ing mechanism adapted to be used within. rew; Fig. 1 5, a separate view of the single--- rtridge extractor-,with the hook to the front;

g. 16, a side elevation ofthe aine; a separate view, showing the construe n ofthe front of the. y l g..1.8j, a front presentation of the cartridge-'- tractor for extractingall the cartridges at' ind Fig. 19 a side elevation of the same. In the drawings, A represents the dischargg-barrel B, thecylinder; O, the recoil-shield cam from a recess in the When the trigger is point or th licor;

D, thelock-frame, and E the base-pin, on which the cylinder rotates.

The ringmechanism is composed of a lever, F, which is pivoted at a, and at its upper end has pivoted to it a plunger, F', passing through a suitable opening in the recoil-shield, in aline with the chamber-of the pistol which is intended to be discharged. It is evident, however, that instead of having the plunger F' pivoted'to the lever F, it may be a rigid projection of the same. -V

In the operation of this plunger the discharge of the cartridge is due to the pressure upon the portion of the same which is charged with fulminating-powder, instead of by per cussion of the same and to forward this mode of action I have invented certain cartridges, which are subject of a pending application for Letters Patent of the United States.

Modifications of this firing mechanism are shown in Fig. 11, where it is applicable to cannon, and in Figs. 12 and 1.3, where it is applicable to non-chambered pistols and oth'- er similar fire-arms, and in Fig. 14, where it is operated with a screw instead of a lever.

Connected with this firing mechanism is that for rotating the cylinder, which is con-. structed as follows: Al pin or projection, b, secured to the lever F at the point c, upon being moved forward by the forward movement of the lever or trigger part of the lever F, strikes against the lower part of the pivoted cam G, and passes into the curved recess d, and withdraws the upper part of said cylinder, and leaves the same free to revolve. By the same movement of the cam a pawl, H, which vis pivoted to one end of it at the point c, is drawn down the distance of onenotch` in the ratchet I, byI

the revolution of which the cylinder is rotated. drawn back the pin b presses against the resisting side of the recess d, and revolves the cam G partially, thus Ajraising the pawl end of the e, which pawl,

engaging witha notch of theratchet, revolves the 'cylinder' a suicient distanceto bring one chamber ofthe cylinder Yin linewith the di'smerging-barrel. When the-cam is-rotated a sumcient 'distance for the purpose named, 1t has been raised to such a point that the pin b is released from its recess d, and the locking portion of the cani G returns to its recess in the cylinder, locking the sameagainst further rotation.

and moves backward the arm K, which, inA

turn, draws back the extractor-arm and its hook. By the curved con struction ofthe sides ofthe projection and the side of the pivoted arm K, against which it strikes, there results at 'rst'a slow motion of the extractor-hook in detaching the cartridge from its chamber,.and

then a more rapid motion of the same, result ing in sudden stop of the same, when the bottom g of the projection comes into the notch h of' the 'arm K1, which sudden stop throws oft' the cartridge from the extractor hook. A spring, L,'p'res sing against the arm KL, throws the extractor-head forward to its work. A

spring, M,`having a pin, h', is placed upon the outside ofthe lock-frame. When the extractor mechanism is in use the pin h' niay'rest in the hole t, where it touches no part of the mech anism.

When it is desired to use the pistol without l 'the operation of the extractor, the lpin h is placedin the hole j, when it comes in front of the arm K, the same being rst drawn back,

as previously explained, and loclis the same in that position.

' It is evident, however, that the cartridgev arm Kl may be pivoted directly to the lever F, or be a projection of the saine.

I n case certain cartridges are used, where it is intended to preserve the base, the body of the case to be discharged with the ball, it will be found convenient to lock back the arm K1, as before' described, and use the following convenient mechanism for extraetn g such cartridge-bases: An extractor', N, of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 4, is pivoted upon the *outside of' the lock-frame. and is held np to its work by a spring, j'. W hen this extractor l isv in position its front side rests against the rear end of the cylinder, with its pointed upper end k extending by the' side of the open.

ing of one of the chambers. When the cylin- .der is rotated after tiring, the point 7c comes under the flange of the cartridge, and as the cylinder is further rotated the cartridge-base is carriedlong the wedge-shaped upper end of 4the ej ytor until it is wholly ejected from *the cham oer, as shown' in Fig. 4.

When the use'of this ejector is not=desired, it canbe turned down outof the way, as shown in Fig. 1, and it will be held in such position bythe springj.

s Intesa m shownin Fig. 7, witlilhooks n, as shown in Fig. 2, extending into -the rear end of the cylinder, and fitting into a 'groove therein, so

.that when the cylinder is rotated the rim of i the extractor-head, carrying the hooks, would traverse in such groove. This head is showni particularly in Figs. 18 and 19, and its hooks a have each the forinof those described in- Figs. 15 and 16. rEhis head extends such a distance into suoli cylinder as notato interfere with the mechanismbefore described for extracting one cartridge at a time, It is apparent, then, that if the cylinder ismoved forward en its base-pin, all the cartridges will be held by the hooks under each one, and will be extracted.

As, however, it is diilcnltr tostartthe cylupon the base-pin, and is sere' ed thereon.

lf, then, the barrel of the pisto is turned .a

little, the screw-thread mentioned will create a leverage, and draw out the cylinder a little on the base-pin, which will start the cartridges, and then the cylinder may be moved ontin the usna-l`way, o1" drawn entirely oll.

' Thistnbe P is pivoted to the upper` end of the lever Q by means of a pivoted connection, 1t. into a corresponding recess in the under side of the barrel projection, and into a recess in the tube. e f

When the lever Q is moved forward `the fin is withdrawn out ,of its recess, and the barrel may be turned, as described, and barrel and cylinder removed. The barrel,'however, may

'he turned without withdrawing the iin when ever the free end of the lever is disengagedk from the lock-frame. When the lever is drawn bach the fin o enters its recesses, andi the barrel and' cylinder are both locked, thebarrel prevented from turning, and the cylinder froi'n moving forward. It is apparent, however, that the lever Q and its connection R may `be dispensed with, and the tube be rigidly secured to the under side ol' the barrel, and any convenient or proper mode of locking both the barrel and the cylinder be adopted. It isalso evident that the screw upon the end of the \basepin maybe dispensed with, 'and thee/nd Vot' 'the base-pin be beveled, to agree with .acorresponringly-beveled stop'in the tube, against vwhich the endof thefbase-pin' rests, so that by turningjthe tube the action of the two 'bevels would separate the end of the base-pin from such stop. As, however, in withdrawing the cylinder, as above described, the exrthe lever has also a lin, o, adapted to lit tractor might b e withdrawn with the cylinder, I I prevent this result by a leaf-spring, p, upo n the basepin, the free end of which l' spring,r

Vrests against the frontend ofthe ratchet, the flange of which prevents the extractor from movingforward with the forward movement of the cylinder, so that when the cylinder is withdrawn the ratchet remains behind.

It may be desirable to provide against untimely discharges of the pistol, and for that purpose I use a contrivance shown in Fing. 6,

which representsthe guard-frame of the under side of the lock-frame. '(showu, at S) the trigger portion of the lever.

Through this plate passes, and also a portion of the cam. Upon this plate is pivoted the spring T, with its free ends rounded and curved`,`to fit into the holes q q1 q2. This spring has a shoulder, r, upon one side. When the point-of this spring enters the hole q, then the lever is locked forward, because the shoulder r comes behind the trigger portion of the lever.

In commencing to discharge a pistol where all the chambers are loaded, it is desirable that the extractor'hould`not operate-at the discharge of the first chamber, because, it' it did so, it would eject'a' loaded cartriihee.` I therefore draw back the extractor land pull back the trigger Afar enough to revolve the cylinder one notch, and then press thepoint of the spring in'to the hole q1. The cartridgehead or hook of the cartridge-extractor then will rest against the rear ofthe cartridge, and will not operate to extract it, and the trigger may he moved back for a discharge, but cannot be'moved forward.- This result is accomplished bythe sliouldrrentering a proper `recess in the cam. 'The pistolniay then be discharged, and, in turn, all the discharged cartridges will be ejected in the act of firing.

When the point ofthe spring i' is placed in the hole q2, which does'not touch anyl of thev mechanism of the lock`franie, the pistol can` i be operated and discharged in the usual way.

what I claim as new .therein isl1. 1n a fire-arm or piece of ordinance, a firing- 'mechanism consisting of a lever and a plunger or tiring-pin attached to the same, and adapted to operate by pressure alone,.substantia'lly as described.

2. In a cylinder fire-'eran i-n combination witlithe tiring-lever, the pivo'ted cam and the vpawl, substantially as described, for revolving the cylinder and discharging the tire-arm at the same time. y

3. The cartridge-extractor,wi th hook-shaped head and rounded point, substantiallyas described.

4. The cartridge-extractor K2, in combination' Withfthe lever for firing.each vconstructed and arranged substantially as def scribed.

5 The wed-geishaped pi'voted extractor N,

gedt operate substanit tothe barrel, substantially as set forth.

L 9. The spring L,in combination with the` extractor K Kl, substantiallyas set forth.

10. The spring pin the base-pin, in combi n nationA with scribed; n i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing lI ,'have hereunto set my' hand .this 8th day of April, 1876. 4'

the extractor, substantially as de- ROLLIN wurm. Witnesses:

v H. WHITE, H. W. BAILEY.

Hav/ing thus described .my improvement,

witha recess in the tube or base-pin, to fasten 

